Shelf Stable Food Industry

Processing Solutions for Sterilizing Shelf Stable Foods

Shelf Stable refers to foods which are able to survive long periods of time on store or home shelves without spoiling. Unopened and in their sealed containers or packaging, these items can kept without the need for refrigeration. These non-perishable products include a wide variety of food products including canned, bottled and pouched foods such as rice, pasta, vegetables, meats and sauces, are just a few examples of goods that can be processed in a Retort. After pouch or tray retort processing, these products do not require refrigeration until after opening.

STOCK America offers a wide range of food sterilization equipment for processing Shelf Stable foods including both Batch Retort and Continuous Retort solutions, Material Handling options, Accessories, Spare Parts, Service and Support. We can accommodate most any container used for shelf stable beverage & food including cans, pouches, cups, trays, glass and plastic bottles and jars, as well as many other container types and shapes.

Batch Retort

STOCK can offer Batch Retorts & food sterilizing equipment capable of a wide variety of processing methods for Shelf Stable food including Water Immersion, Steam Water Spray, Saturated Steam and Steam Air, as well as hybrid units that offer multiple methods for processing in a single unit. STOCK customizes equipment to provide the best product yield at the lowest cost per case. All STOCK sterilizers include our ICON SCADA Retort Controls, providing the highest level of food safety approved by FDA and USDA.

Continuous Retort

For Shelf Stable food processors that do not require multiple container changeovers, STOCK’s Hydrolock Continuous Retort provides a perfect solution. This system receives product directly from the filler, automatically loading containers into the Continuous Retorts carriers that run through the system on a continuous drive chain, offering high volume throughput. After product exits the Continuous Retort it is automatically unloaded from the carriers and sent to end of line packaging. STOCK’s Continuous Retort saves energy, reduces manual labor requirements and yields a lower cost per case. All STOCK sterilizers include our ICON SCADA Retort Controls that meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements.

Material Handling

Upstream and downstream of the Retorts, STOCK offers multiple Material Handling solutions. From manual or semi-auto entry level automation, all the way through to high-speed loading, unloading and transport solutions, STOCK has alternatives to accommodate your Shelf Stable Food processing needs.

We Will Help You Get Started

STOCK has a R&D / Laboratory Batch Retort and Continuous Retort installed at our facility in North Carolina. We can assist and guide you through the various stages required to develop commercial processes for the Shelf Stable food market.